A child reported missing in an Amber Alert was reunited with his mother Saturday afternoon in San Francisco.

The California Highway Patrol located 21-month-old Mikai Bangoura and his father Jason Lam hundreds of miles from San Francisco in Southern California after he was first reported missing.

"This is every mother's worst nightmare, the hardest thing every parent has to go through, not knowing where their child is," family spokesperson Sandra Machado said as she read a statement from Mikai's mother. The statement continued, thanking law enforcement officers, members of the media and everyone on social media who helped spread the word.

Lam's Toyota Corolla, the car so many people were on the lookout for statewide, was spotted and towed away. A tip led to the child being found.

"Today's a great day," said Alex Bastian of the San Francisco District Attorney's office. "The Amber Alert played a pivotal role."

The District Attorney's office says Lam has joint custody, but didn't return the child to his Mother Thursday night.

Police say 24 hours passed before police were notified, and as they continued their investigation District Attorney Investigator Rodriguez said, "We realized we needed an Amber Alert."Charges for Lam have not been announced.